pethier

When my pal Duane Johnson built the mid-engine Johnson-SAAB for us to autocross, i had the frame in my garage for a while. My neighbor came over to look at it. "Must be heavy, all that bar stock." "That's not bar stock. That's rectangular tubing." "Oh."

Not what I would do to mine, but it looks fabulous. Did you fit it yourself?

Wow!

I drove the Shenandoah Circuit at the LOG30 track day in 2010. My Elise was stock at that time. I had just sold my first Caterham off to Cape Cod. The Caracciola Karussell is a hoot. When I was there the concrete was nice and smooth. I hope it's holding up well.

OK, there is no Seven in it, but it is very cool. https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/cly9vl9jjkvo

Not your fault. You didn't design that mess.

Color combinations make my eyes hurt.

> 4. When all snaps are in place, climb in the car and fasten the velcro around the hood stick, then reach over your shoulder and pull the loose end of each strap forward until the top is nice and taut Not happening in my car. I have to tighten the straps first to get the forward bow back to the Velcro. My entry: My left* foot goes in first, then my head and shoulders. I keep going until I can get my right foot in. I have the seat all the way back to do this. Then I put on my lap belt and slam the seat forward. It is imperative that the lap belt be very tight. Then I click in the shoulder belts and snug them up a little. On a good day, I can do this without removing the steering wheel. There are some days I think it was worth it to create my weird wheel setup. * I have an English car.

Years ago I bought an Eibach gift certificate from a guy who had got it as a prize at an autocross. It was good for a package OR for any four springs from stock. I had a Lotus Europa. Eibach had an extensive catalog of springs for sprint cars. I was able to get springs that would give me the ride-heights and rates I wanted for autocross. I didn't have to get dampers with adjustable perches. The certificate was not good for custom springs, but these sprint-car springs were not custom, but catalog items.

Exactly. One could get the car in any colour you wanted as long as it was black, white, or Ford Moonstone Blue. I think the original owner of my 1700 Super Sprint may have been a fan of the Ford Sierra Cosworth RS. I think he ordered all the options for a Prisoner Special Edition, but did not want the BRG with a yellow nose. When I got the Caterham it was all Ford Moonstone Blue. I wanted the car to be more-visible, so the nose and fenders are now Caterham Firecracker Yellow.

One out of two ain't bad. My 1979 had no mounting bracket, nor a hole where one had been. The tire rested on the carrier and the top of the wheel/tire was strapped to to the car body with a belt, as you see in my previous post. My 1991 has a bracket that that is fastened to a threaded hole in a horizontal tube in the boot. The bracket is Y-shaped with two studs which accept nuts like those used on the road wheels.

Interesting. Your carrier apparently came from the factory with with a carrier set up for a Canada/USA license plate. My 1700 Super Sprint is an English car (lived most of its life in Northwich) so the number-plate plinth is a different shape. Dunno when Caterham started having two setups for these license plates. As far as I knew, my 1979 was always a USA car, and it had the English plinth. I bought the car in Wisconsin. Here it is ready to go on the transporter to Cape Cod. There are only two holes in the plinth, and they are correct for a Canada/USA plate.

The nose is also Caterham Firecracker Yellow. What I consider the "spare wheel carrier" is easy to spot. The license plate is attached to it. All the same paint. And no, I don't really see the "blue" in Ford Moonstone Blue either. Not in this light or any other.

IMG_7432 My messy shop:

In Ford Moonstone Blue to match the body, just the way it came to me.

Mine is Ford Moonstone Blue. Hope that's OK.

I already own a Zetec and expect to get it in the car this season. At this point, 35 pounds is not enough of a weight saving to source a new engine.

We are discussing English cars on a site called "USA". I think either is correct. "It's all 4/4 to Milcho" - Don Ellis

So surprised that they shipped it with the hood erected. I figured it would come folded up in a plastic bag (or in the duffel if one had been ordered).

Have you driven the Shenandoah Circuit?

Big Accusump?

I'd take the Caterham logo off the grill

I am on my 4th mid-engine car and on my second Caterham. For car placement in the Seven, forget about the front wheels. You are sitting between the rear wheels, which are further apart. Concentrate on where those wheels are going. You will feel developing oversteer sooner and more-clearly in the Seven than in your mid-engine cars. If you find an autocrossing club that has practice days, sign up. I suggest that you attach a pylon-redirecting device to your seat bolts. I had no trouble with pylon damage to my first Caterham, but did destroy a rear fender on my second Caterham.

I live in Minnesota and am seriously considering taking out my heater. Never had one on my previous 1979 Caterham.